I Never Speak Without Proof.

Still, as they sat there waiting for Aiden to complete his treatment, an unshakable sense of uncertainty lingered in the back of their minds. They all hoped, no, they believed that this time would be different.

______

Meanwhile, back at Belmont, Anabella sat in the paid student cafeteria, her tray untouched, her mind swirling with thoughts she couldn't quiet.

"She's really a girl? That bitch!" she muttered under her breath, her fingers tightening around the edge of the table.

The scene of Olive and Lucas in the bathroom replayed in her mind like a bad movie she couldn't turn off. Her jaw clenched as the implications settled in.

"I should have known those bottom-feeders would try to cling to something good," she hissed through gritted teeth. "And now she sees Lucas as her golden ticket to rewrite her pathetic family's history. Ha! She wishes!"